Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 134

Devanagari script

त्यत्क्वा बहूदके प्राणानस्थिक्षेपं महीजले । काराय्य त्वं ततो भावी मैत्रेय इति सन्मुनिः

Transliteration

tyatkvā bahūdake prāṇānasthikṣepaṃ mahījale | kārāyya tvaṃ tato bhāvī maitreya iti sanmuniḥ

Translation

“Xả bỏ mạng sống nơi nước sâu, và để xương cốt được thả vào dòng nước trên mặt đất—rồi ngươi sẽ trở thành Di-lặc (Maitreya),” bậc hiền thánh chân thật đã tuyên lời như vậy.

Word by Word

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) = having abandoned

• bahūtake: in abundant water
• bahūtake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahu-udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय = ‘much water’; अधिकरण (in much water)

• prāṇān: life/breaths
• prāṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्म (life-breaths/life)

• asthi-kṣepam: casting of bones
• asthi-kṣepam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthi + kṣepa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) = ‘throwing/casting of bones’; कर्म (act/thing to be done)

• mahī-jale: in earthly waters (river)
• mahī-jale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष = ‘water of the earth/river’; अधिकरण

• kārāyya: having performed/caused (it) to be done
• kārāyya: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-रूप (absolutive) of causative? textual variant; intended sense ‘having caused to be done/after doing’ (कृत्वा/कारयित्वा)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = then/thereafter

• bhāvī: will become
• bhāvī: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भविष्यदर्थक विशेषण = ‘to be/becoming’

• maitreyaḥ: Maitreya
• maitreyaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maitreya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• iti: thus/so called
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative particle)

• san-muniḥ: the holy sage
• san-muniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय = ‘good/holy sage’ (speaker)

Speaker

A suffering narrator quoting Vyāsa (the ‘sat-muni’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahūdaka (deep-water tīrtha motif)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage pronounces a prophecy: the protagonist will relinquish life in deep waters; attendants later consign bones into flowing water. Above the waters, a visionary overlay shows the future ṛṣi ‘Maitreya’ seated in meditation, signifying transformation.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narrative frames even death as a dharmic transition when aligned with sacred intention and sage-guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific tīrtha is not named; the verse highlights sacred waters and funerary immersion as a purifying act in general.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Antyeṣṭi-related acts are implied: dying/entering deep waters and the immersion/consignment of bones into water.